Checked baggage on 3 trains?

Since retirement,my wife and I make annual round trips to San Francisco on the train from either NWK or NYP. The routes vary.Most years years we head out from Newark and go NER to the CL (where we check our bags) and then the CZ. Eastward we often split our trips to see friends - going to ABQ on the SWC - and then on to Chicago for a bit before returning to our apartment here in Jersey City. This year we are coming straight home - CZ to CL to PGH where we'll transfer to the Pennsylvanian. Now that #42 has a baggage car we plan on checking bags all the way from Emeryville to Newark (SF no longer has checked bags now after the move out of the Temporary Transbay Terminal). Will it be too risky to check bags through on 3 trains? If we make connections but bags don't what's the procedure? Pick up in Newark the following day? Should we schlep them instead? We've never had a problem with checked bags before but then we've also never tried it for 3 trains. Any advice will be appreciated. Our return trip starts on June 30th.

You're going home. It shouldn't be a disaster if your bags arrive a day or two late. Check them, but schlep along anything you can't do without, such as medications.

The bags are transferred between trains for you.

There have been instances where the bags made it to the next train (when the previous train was late) but the passenger did not. Worst case is you have to return to the station to pick up your bags. But most times, they arrive when you do.

Since NWK has a good baggage claim area and your bags should be safe - if you have to go back to get them all is not lost

Depending on where you are in Jersey City, you could take the PATH train back to NWK during the slow part of the day when the trains aren't crowded - that way it doesn't cost much to go get your bags

Chances are, the bags will be there when you arrive on the train - either getting there before you or at the same time.

Qapla said:

Since NWK has a good baggage claim area and your bags should be safe - if you have to go back to get them all is not lost

Depending on where you are in Jersey City, you could take the PATH train back to NWK during the slow part of the day when the trains aren't crowded - that way it doesn't cost much to go get your bags

Chances are, the bags will be there when you arrive on the train - either getting there before you or at the same time.

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Thanks. we live a short walk from PATH and, as has been said, all is not lost if our arrivals are not in sync.

We went from Albuquerque to Atlanta with an unnecessary (my choice) overnight in Chicago and a (necessary) overnight in New Orleans so we arrived a day after our bag. No problems. In fact, we were the first to get our bag because we didn't have to wait for it.